SITTING in the heart of North Yorkshire’s county town, the Black Bull is a traditional pub with some real history behind it.

Facing on to the wide pavement of Northallerton’s High Street, its three-storey frontage with bright bay windows and hanging baskets are a welcome sight for shoppers and visitors to the town.

And so it has been since the mid 18th-century, particularly in 1785 when, as a coaching inn, it received the first London to Edinburgh mail coach to pass through the town.

Grade II-listed by English Heritage, the Black Bull has been run by local pub entrepreneur Paul Hutchinson for the past two years and now combines the old and new.

Its seven letting bedrooms have all been refurbished and now boast an 85 per cent occupancy rate while the busy kitchen provides everything from basic bowls of soup to full-blown meals from a substantial menu.

Lovers of traditional brews are kept happy with four different real ales and a big TV screen ensures football fans can keep up with developments on the soccer field. There’s also a car-park to the rear and a small beer garden complete with plenty of planters.

And, on sunny days, a scattering of tables on the High Street provide a truly continental touch for the thirsty.